Multiweight roller cam governor



H. w. PRICE 2,466,273

MULTIWEIGHT ROLLER CAM GOVERNOR April 5, 1949.

Filed April 23, 1945 Z i a; 25

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#45010 M PAP/6f INV ENT OR.

Patented Apr. 5, 1949 MULTIVVEIGHT ROLLER CAM GOVERNOR Harold W. Price, Bradenton, Fla., assignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation, South Bend, Ind., a

corporation of Delaware Application April 23, 1945, Serial No. 589,810

9 Claims.

This invention relates in general to governor operated switch mechanism and more particularly to combined centrifugally operated governor and toggle switch mechanism suitable for use as a control unit in the power plant of an automotive vehicle.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a governor ahd switch unit includinga so-called multi-stage governor operable to actuate a plurality of switch mechanisms; and it is a further object of my invention to so construct said governor and switch unit that the same may, with the omission of a relatively few parts be converted into a so-called single stage governor for actuating but one switch mechanism.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a governor and switch unit including a centrifugal governor mechanism which is certain of operation at certain critical speeds that is a centrifugal governor mechanism requiring no adjusting mechanism built into the governor assembly; and a further object of my invention is to provide a governor and switch mechanism, the governor of said mechanism requiring no critical balancing of a number of springs and the switch means of said mechanism having no effect on the centrifugal weights of the governor tending to cause a variation in operating speeds.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a governor and switch unit including a plurality of single pole double throw switch mechanisms successively operated by a multi-stage centrifugal governor mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to provide a combined governor and switch unit wherein the operation of the governor of said unit to actuate the switch mechanism of said unit is facilitated by an operating means having a cam action upon the switch mechanism rather than the direct thrust action to be found in most centrifugally operated switch mechanisms of the day.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which represents the preferred embodiment of my invention. After considering this embodiment skilled persons will understand that many variations may be made without departing from the principles disclosed and I contemplate the employment of any structures, arrangements or modes of operation that are properly within the scope of the appended claims.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the governor and switch unit constituting my invention; and

Figure 2 is a view, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l, disclosing details of the toggle switch mechanism of my invention.

Describing now the preferred embodiment of my invention disclosed in the two figures of the drawing the governor and switch mechanism of said invention is housed within a two-part casing including a cup-shaped member If] housing the governor of the unit and a cap like cup-shaped member i2 h using the switch mechanism of said unit. The latter cup member is preferably made of a material which is electrically non-conductive. The base of the cup member In is provided with an opening to receive a fitting l4; and within said fitting there is journalled a drive shaft 16 to which is fixedly secured a cup member l8 nested within the housing member I0. Within the member it! there are placed a plurality of rectangular shaped centrifugal weight members the majority of said members, one of which is indicated by the reference numeral 20, having the cross sectional shape disclosed in Figure 1. In order to obtain the hereinafter described second stage operation of the governor mechanism a few of the centrifugal weight members, one of which is indicated by the reference numeral 22, are shaped as disclosed in Figure 1 Below governor speed a relatively low rate, that is relatively weak spring 24 serves to bias the weights 2!] and 22 to the positions disclosed in Figure 1, said spring being spaced between a lower plate 26 which rests upon a toe portion 28 of each of the weights, and an upper plate 30 fitted within the peripheral portion of the side wall of the cup member iii. A pin 32, secured to the upper end of the drive shaft 18 is telescoped within a riser member 34 which is secured to the plate 26; and to the upper end of the riser there is secured an eccentric 36 serving as a cam member to actuate the hereinafter described switch mechanism. The casing member l0 may be provided with openings 38 to provide means for venting the interior of the mechanism to the atmosphere the air passing through a filtering material 40.

Describing now the switch mechanism of my invention there are two separate single pole double throw switch mechanisms disclosed in the drawing the same being indicated as a whole by the reference numerals 31 and 4|. These switch mechanisms are preferably of the double toggle type. The switch mechanism 4| includes the switches 42 and 43 and the switch mechanism 31 includes the switches 44 and 45 all four of said switches being referred to in the description to follow. The two switch mechanisms 31 and 41 are of identical construction accordingly but one of the same, that is the switch mechanism 4!, will be described in detail. The switch mechanism includes a U-shaped body member 46 having tabs 4'! and 48 secured thereto; and these tabs, which constitute the movable contact members of the switch mechanism, are positioned to contact respectively, fixed contact members 49 and 54 secured to supports 52 and 54 respectively. The movable contact 4'! together with the fixed contact 49 constitute the aforementioned switch 43, and the movable contact 48 together with the fixed contact 50 constitute the switch 42. The support members 52 and 54 are secured to the cup member l2 and to said support members there are secured posts to which are connected the usual electrical lead wires. Only one of said posts, indicated by the reference numeral 56, is disclosed in the drawing. v

Through the inner ends of the U-shaped body member 45 there extends a pin 58 and upon said pin there is pivotally mounted a lever like toggle member 60 the pin passing through the central portion of said member. This toggle member is provided with solid pad members A and B which members, as described below, are contacted by the eccentric roller cam member 36. An over center spring 62, interposed in compression between an end wall portion 64 of the U-shaped body member 42 and an inwardly extending tab 66 of the toggle member 60, serve, when the latter member is rocked upon its pivot 58, to impart angular movement to the body member 45 about the pivot 58 thereby moving one or the other of the movable contacts 41 and 48 into contact with one of the aforementioned fixed. contacts of the switch mechanism.

As noted above the undescribed switch mechanism 31 duplicates the switch mechanism 4| just described and is therefore not described here, however, for the purposes of this description the solid pads of the switch mechanism 31 which are contacted by the roller cam member 35 are indicated by the reference numerals C and D. It is important to note that as one of the features of my invention the switch mechanism 4| is spaced farther from the top of the unit than the switch mechanism 31; and by this construction the pads A, C, B and D are in the order named, spaced from the top of the unit, all as is disclosed in Figure 1 of the drawing.

Describing now the operation of the governor and switch mechanism constituting my invention it will be assumed that the drivin shaft I6 is being driven at a relatively low speed. This being true the spring 24 will function to hold the governor parts of the mechanism in the position disclosed in Figure 1; and it is to be noted here that the cam 36, in the act of moving downwardly to the position of Figure 1, serves to actuate the pads C and A to open the switches 43 and .44. In this operation the pads C and A are moved away from the center of the unit, that is away from the longitudinal axis of said unit,

Now when the R. P. M. of the driven shaft I reaches a certain factor, which will be defined as the first stage governor speed, then all of the weights of the governor, that is all of the weights 20 and 22 move outwardly; and the weights 20 move into abutment with the side wall of the retainer cup l8. In other words at a certain critical speed of. the governor all of the weights move angularly, that is rock about the points marked R in Figure 1 of the drawing. In this operation g the weights 22 by virtue of their shape, this is by virtue of the angle indicated by the letter X in Figure 1, do not have sufficient angular movement to abut the side wall of the retainer cup l8.

By the above described first stage operation of the governor the spring 24 is compressed and the riser 34 is moved upwardly with a snap action until the cam 36 is alongside the pad B whereupon said cam, which is at the time rotating at a relatively high speed, contacts the edge of said pad with a radial force to thereby rotate the toggle member and said member by its snap action opens the switch 42 and closes the switch 43. The aforementioned snap action of the riser 34 is made possible by virtue of the negative rate action of the low rate spring 24 which is compressed by the appreciable centrifugal force exerted by the weights 20 and 22. It is to be noted that if the R. P. M. of the driven shaft l6 remains at the aforementioned constant or substantially constant factor, that the cam 36 remains alongside the pad B after the aforementioned operation of the switches 42 and 43 is completed; for the centrifugally operated mechanism is then in a state of equilibrium the force exerted by the weights 20 and 22 being balanced by the resisting force of the spring 24.

Upon increase in governor speed to another critical factor, that is the so-called second stage governor speed, the several weights numbered 22, by virtue of the corresponding increase in centrifugal force, move outwardly until the same abut the side wall of the retainer cup I8; and with this operation the spring 24 is further compressed and the riser 34 is again moved upwardly with a snap action until the cam 36 is alongside the pad D; the cam then strikes said pad to effect the snap action of the toggle of the switch mechanism 3'! to close the switch 44 and open the switch 45.

The reverse operation of the above described mechanism, that is the successive opening of the switch 44, closing of the switch 45, opening of the switch'43, and closing of the switch 42 will be apparent from the above description. Suffice it to say that when the speed of the drive shaft I6 is dropped below the top governor speed, that is the second stage governor speed, then the then compressed spring 24 functions to move the rotating cam 36 downwardly to a position to actuate the switch 31 by contacting the pad 0; and when the speed of said drive shaft is dropped below the first stage governor speed then the spring 24 moves the cam 36 downwardly to a position to actuate the switch 4| by contacting the pad A. i A

There is thus provided an effective andeificient governor and switch mechanism of relatively few parts; one that is certain in operation and one that may be easily serviced. Pointing out features of the unit the four contact posts extending from the outer face of the cup member |2, that is from the top of the unit, provide means for a wide range of circuit applications and the actuating toggles of the two switch mechanisms must pass over center before the movable contact of each mechanism snaps from one fixed contact to the other thus eliminating any tendency for the switch to flutter. The later double toggle feature of each of the switch mechanisms assures constant maximum contact pressure for whichever set of points are engaged dependent upon the position of the actuating toggle. As another feature of my invention it is to be noted that there are no adjustable parts built into the governor mechanism inasmuch as the appreciable weight of the centrifugal weight members 20 and 22, balanced only by the relatively light spring 24, effects very nearly fixed and consistent operating speeds. Many governor mechanisms of the day include a number of springs which must be balanced, however the governor mechanism of my invention makes such springs unnecessary; and as another feature of my invention it is to be noted that by inserting another set of centrifugal weights within the cup l8, that is a set in which the angle x is greater than that of the weights 22 of Figure 1, and by mounting another double toggle switch mechanism on the cup I! closer to the inner face of the cup than the switch mechanism ll, that there would then be provided a three-stage switch mechanism.

Although a particular embodiment of my invention has been described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the objects of the invention may be attained by the use of constructions different in certain respects from those disclosed without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. I therefore desire by the following claims to include within the scope of my invention all such variations and modifications by which substantially the results of my invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim: I

1. A governor and switch mechanism comprising a two-part casing, a plurality of double toggle switch units mounted within one of the parts of the casing each of said units including a switch operating lever member having two tabs adapted to be contacted by governor operated means of the mechanism, switch operating means mounted within the other of the parts of the two-part casing member said means including a drive shaft operated cup member, centrifugally operated weight members mounted within said cup mem'-' her, a rotatable and bodily movable riser member housed within said cup member and movable upwardly bodily by the operation of the weight members, and a roller cam member secured to the upper end of the riser member, said cam member serving, when the aforementioned riser distance from the inner face of said portion than each of the remaining units, and means for operating the switches of said toggle switch units, said means including a governor and spring operated riser member having an eccentric mounted on its upper end said riser being moved bodily upwardly, to efiect a part of theoperation of the switch mechanism, by the operation of the governor and being moved bodily downwardly, by the operation of spring means, to effect anotherpart of the operation of the switch mechanism.

5. A governor operated switch unit comprising a two-part casing one of said parts housing the governor mechanism of said unit and the other casing part housing the switch mechanism of said unit, a plurality of single pole double throw switch mechanisms mounted on the last mentioned casing part and a two stage centrifugal governor means mounted on the first mentioned casing part; the parts of the aforementioned governor and switch unit being so constructed and so arranged and so operative that the switch mechanisms are successively operated.

6. A governor operated switch unit comprising a two-part casing one of said parts housing the governor mechanism of said unit and the other casing part housing the switch mechanism of said unit, a plurality of single pole double throw switch mechanisms mounted on the last mentioned casing part and a two stage centrifugal governor means, including a centrifugal weight member is raised by an operation of the centrifugal weight members, to contact the aforementioned tabs and thereby operate the switch units.

2. A governor and switch mechanism comprising a two-part casing, a plurality of double toggle switch units mounted within one of the parts of the casing each of said units including a switch operating lever member having two tabs adapted to be contacted by governor operated means of the mechanism, switch operating means mounted within the other of the parts of the two-part casing member, the latter means including a governor and spring operated rotatable riser member having a roller cam member mounted on its upper end said cam member serving, when the riser member is moved bodily upwardly, to contact thetab members and thereby eflect an operation of the switch mechanism.

3. A governor and switch unit including a housing member, a plurality of single pole double throw switches mounted within-a cap portion of the housing member, and switch operating means including a centrifugal governor mechanism mounted within a body portion of the housing member saidgovernor mechanism including a riser member movable between the switch mechanisms and having a switch operating cam member on its upper end.

4. A governor and switch unit comprising a two-part casing one of said parts constituting a body portion and the other a cap portion, a plu rality of double toggle switch units mounted within and secured to the aforementioned cap portion each of said units being spaced 9. difl'erent and spring operated riser member having a cam mounted on one end thereof, mounted on the first mentioned casing part; the parts of the aforementioned governor and switch unit being so constructed and so arranged and so operative that the switch. mechanisms are successively operated.

7. A governor and switchmechanism comprising a two-part housing member, a governor mechanism mounted within the lower part of said housing said governor mechanism including a drive shaft operated support pin positioned in the center of said ,inechanism, a centrifugal weight and spring operated rotatable riser member sleeved over said support pin said member being bodily movable upwardly and downwardly by the governor mechanism, a switch operating eccentric mounted on thegupper end of said pin, and switch means mounted" within and secured to the upper part of the housing member, said switch means being operated by the aforementioned eccentric when the riser is moved upwardly and downwardly.

8., A governor and switch unit including a cap member to which are secured two toggle switch units together providing two switches and means for successively operating said switches including a rotatable and bodily movable riser member housed within the lower part of said unit.

9. A governor and switch unit including a housing member comprising a cap member and a body member,- a plurality of single pole double throw switches mounted within said cap member each of said switches being spaced a certain distance from the bottom of the body member, and switch operating means including a centrifugal governor mechanism mounted within the body member, said governor mechanism including a riser member movable between the switch mechanisms and having a switch operating cam member on its upper end.

HAROLD W. PRICE.

No references cited. 

